Dairy Queen Doesn’t Sell Real Ice Cream. So What Is It?

Dairy Queen is one of the pioneers of soft-serve ice cream. Some credit co-founder J.F. McCullough with inventing the first soft-serve ice cream machine in 1938 (other sources credit Tom Carvel of rival brand Carvel with the invention). The fact that the first Dairy Queen opened on historic Route 66 only solidified soft-serve ice cream’s place as the quintessential fast-food dessert. Every Dairy Queen swirl is a piece of dessert history, but it’s not technically ice cream.

Soft serve ice cream is a completely different kind of frozen dessert, which is why Dairy Queen became so popular. It was unlike any ice cream people had ever eaten before, which inspired one of the company’s first advertising slogans: “A cone with a swirl on top.” DQ’s famous soft serve ice cream became the foundation for future sweet successes like the Dilly Bar and the Blizzard.

While the company has served a full line of fast food, its sweet treats remain one of Dairy Queen’s most popular menu items. Dairy Queen will always be the first name that comes to mind for some when they think of soft-serve ice cream, and rightfully so, since the chain helped popularize it. However, while it’s commonly referred to as “soft-serve ice cream,” Dairy Queen ice cream isn’t technically ice cream—at least according to the U.S. government. Why? Dairy Queen’s creamy, icy pastries aren’t fat-dense enough.

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Dairy Queen ice cream does not meet the requirements for fat content in ice cream

If you read the Dairy Queen menu, you won’t find the word “ice cream” anywhere. Cones, ice cream cones, Dilly bars, Blizzards — it doesn’t matter, they all say they’re made with “soft ice cream,” period. The reason for that is the Code of Federal Regulations, where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines state that “ice cream contains not less than 10 percent milkfat.” Dairy Queen’s soft ice cream contains only 5 percent milkfat, meaning it doesn’t meet the government’s definition of ice cream and must be sold under a different name.

Dairy Queen has used the same soft-serve ice cream recipe since it opened, so contrary to what many may think, the iconic chain has never technically sold ice cream. The FDA classified Dairy Queen soft-serve ice cream and similar confections as “ice cream milk,” which included frozen desserts with between 2.5 and 10 percent milkfat. However, in 1995, federal regulations changed, and products previously considered ice cream milk were reclassified as reduced-fat, light-fat, or low-fat ice cream, depending on their fat content. Dairy Queen soft-serve ice cream now qualifies as “reduced-fat ice cream,” but it’s still different from ice cream in the eyes of the government, which is still defined as having at least 10 percent milkfat. Fat content isn’t the only thing that distinguishes soft-serve ice cream from ice cream.

How is soft serve ice cream different from gelato?

The difference in milk fat is a key distinction between Dairy Queen and soft serve ice cream, and an important part of the difference between soft serve ice cream and custard, another cousin of ice cream. As important as it is, not every brand of soft serve ice cream fails to meet FDA standards for ice cream. There are some brands of soft serve ice cream that contain 10 percent milk fat, although soft serve ice cream is more commonly classified as reduced-fat ice cream, such as Dairy Queen. To the consumer, the most obvious difference between soft serve and other frozen desserts is the light texture. Soft serve ice cream contains between 40 percent and 45 percent air, giving it a light texture that falls somewhere between ice cream and whipped cream. Of course, this also allows the manufacturer to stretch the ingredients even further, producing more servings for less.

You can’t have ice cream without an ice cream maker, which is essential for maintaining the perfect, fluffy consistency. After loading the base ingredients, the machine churns the ice cream and combines it with air. The machine also keeps the ice cream at just below freezing, around 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Compare that to your home freezer, where you store regular ice cream, which should be set to between -5 degrees Fahrenheit and 0 degrees Fahrenheit. While useful, ice cream makers are a safety nightmare for fast food establishments and need to be cleaned frequently.

Read the original article on Chowhound.